Floor mop with wringer attachment



April 1965 c. HEEPE 3,178,748

FLOOR MOP WITH WRINGER ATTACHMENT Filed March 19. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

CHARLES HEE PE April 20, 1965 c, EE 3,178,748

FLOOR MOP WITH WRINGER ATTACHMENT Filed March 19, 1965 INVENTOR- CHARLESHEEPE BYZ W United States Patent 3,178,748 FLOOR MOP WITH WRINGERATTACHMENT Charles Heepe, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Ideal RubberProducts Co., Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Mar. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 266,420 3Claims. (Cl. 15-244) This invention relates to floor mops generally andto wringer type floor mops in particular. The invention is, however,equally applicable to other implements such as floor polishers, waxers,etc.

Basically, the invention comprises a floor mop or other implement havinga cellulose sponge cleaning, polishing or waxing element or the like,and a pivotally mounted presser plate which is engageable with saidcleaning element to squeeze it for the purpose of removing its liquidcontents.

This type of floor mop is basically well-known and it is made in manyforms and with many different features. However, in one respect, apacking, shipping and storing problem has not heretofore been solved.Reference is made to the packaging of floor mops in the most economicalfashion, the problem being not only in the cost of the package materialproblem, but also in shipping and storing expenses. More specifically,the problem is volume, the larger the space which the package occupies,the greater is the cost of the packaging material and the greater is theexpense of shipping and storing the package. Floor mops of the typeunder discussion being relatively inexpensive commodities, the cost andexpense of packaging, shipping and storage are substantial pricing itemsto be considered.

Floor mops of the type under consideration are approximately eightinches across, reference being here made to the length or greatestdimension of the mop head. Since the handle is generally securedsubstantially at right angles to the mop head, intermediate its ends,this means that a container for a conventional mop would be at leasteight inches in width and its length would exceed the combined length ofthe mop handle and mop head. The third dimension of the container wouldbe approximately two and one-half inches and it will therefore be seenthat the container would occupy a rather substantial space from thepoint of view of shipping and storing.

It is the object of this invention to provide a floor mop of thecharacter described, wherein the handle is detachable from the mop headfor packaging, shipping and storing purposes, and is readily attachablethereto for purposes of use. A package for a disassembled or unassembledfloor mop of the character herein claimed would approximate two andone-half inches in width as compared with the eight inch width of thepackage for conventional floor mops.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a pictorial view showing the presser means in position forsqueezing water out of the sponge.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a partial top view of the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention depicting the backing element and the presser means.

FIGURE 6 is an underside view of the illustration of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-section taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-section taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 5.

3,178,748 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 ice FIGURE 9 is a perspective view ofthe present invention depicting the mop head element thereof.

FIGURE 10 is a section on line 1010 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the details of the invention as illustrated in thedrawing, it will be observed that a floor mop embodying the features ofthis invention comprises a handle 10, a head piece 12, a cleaningimplement or the like 14, a squeeze plate or wringer 16 and a handle 18therefor.

Handle 10 is a conventional wooden stick, although it may be made of anyother material. At its lower end it is encircled by and secured to ametal ferrule 20. It will be noticed that this metal ferrule is simply ametal strip which is curled around into cylindrical shape and pressedinto tight frictional engagement with the wooden handle. This is apreferred method of attaching the ferrule to the handle but it will beunderstood that other means and methods may also be employed.

Projecting downwardly from the metal ferrule is a neck portion 22 whichflares outwardly to form a pair of oppositely disposed flanges 12a and12b, respectively. These flanges are integral with each other, with thenarrow neck portion 22, and with the ferrule 20, all being stamped andformed out of the same piece of sheet metal. It will now be noted thatthe two flanges 12a and 12b and their connecting neck portion 22constitute the mop head element 12 first above mentioned.

Cleaning element 14 may be of the refill variety. Essentially, itcomprises a plate 14a and a cellulose sponge block 14b adhesivelysecured thereto. If desired, sponge block 14b may be provided with stillanother plate which would serve as the connecting means between thesponge block and plate 14a. This structure is illustrated in myco-pending patent application Serial No. 266,421, filed March 19, 1963,and entitled Floor Mop With Sponge- Type Refill Element.

It will now be observed that flanges 12a and 12b are the means fordetachably securing handle 10 to the cleaning element 14 and, moreparticularly, to its plate 14a. Struck out of plate 14a are narrowelongated flanges 14c. In the preferred form of this invention there aretwo pairs of such flanges disposed opposite each other, each paircomprising two such flanges arranged in aligned, spaced relationship.Flanges are open along their facing sides and at least one flange isclosed at one end 14d thereof.

It will be evident that flanges 140 are offset from the upper face ofplate 14a to form a pair of channels 24 which are adapted to receiveflanges 12a and 12b of the head element 12 of the mop. In short, theseflanges 12a and 12b are slidably mounted in channels 24, beinglongitudinally movable into and out of said channels. It will thus beapparent that the handle may be assembled with the cleaning element 14by simply sliding mop head flange element's 12a and 12b into channels 24formed between flanges 14c and plate 14a.

Ferrule 20 may be disposed at an angle other than 90 degrees withrespect to the plane occupied by the flanges 12a and 12b. It will now benoted that cellulose sponge 14b is provided with a working surface 14::which is inclined with respect to mounting plate 14a. It is thereforepossible to change the angle between the handle 10 and the workingsurface 142 of the cleaning element by simply reversing the position offlanges 12a and 12b in channels 24. Specifically, a degree change inposition of flanges 12a and 12b relative to channels 24 would radicallychange the angular relationship between handle 10 and the plane of theworking surface Me.

An important feature of the invention resides in the means for lockingflange elements 12a and 12b in channels 24. At one end of each channelis end wall 14d. At the opposite end, between said channels, is a lug30a This 56 oriented that it permits 24 but once they are in saidchannels, lug 30 locks them in and prevents accidental dislodgmenttherefrom.

Presser plate 16*is pivotally secured toplate 14;: by

presser plate 16. These lugs are struck out of their respec- It will beunderstood that in the operation of presser 7 means of. eyes or rivets26. These eyes or rivets are attached to lugs 28 on mounting plate 14aand lugs 30 ontive plates in a simple stamping and forming operation. g

plate 16, handle 18 is held in the hand and the presser plate is swunginto squeezing engagement with sponge 14b, said, sponge being. therebysqueezed between said presser plate 16 into mounting plate 14a.,Following .15

the squeezing or 'wringingoperation, thepresse'r plate is swung in theopposite direction'until its handle, 18 is brought into abutment withmop handle 10. Any suitable fastening means may be employed to attachthe presser plate handle to the mop handle to keep the presser plate inretracted or inoperative position when the mop is used.

' The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred-form of thisinvention'and it will be understood that modifications may beincorporated therein within the broad scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A floor mop of the character described, comprising a handle, a mophead secured to saidhandle and a cleaning element detachably. securedt'osaid mop, head, said mop head comprising a flanged member and aferrule, said flanged member and said ferrule being formed of a singleintegral metal stamping having a narrow neck portion which joins saidflanged member to the ferrule, said ferrule encircling the lower end ofthe mop handle and being secured thereto, ithereby securing said mophandle to said flanged member, and said cleaning element comprising acellulose sponge block 'and a mounting plate therefor, said sponge blockbeing adhesively secured to said mounting plate, said mounting, platehaving integrally formed channel members struck out therefrom, saidchannel elements. being disposed within the peripheral border of saidmounting plate and adapted to receive said flanged member, whereby saidflanged member may be brought into engagement with said channel elementsto detachably secure the mop handle and the cleaning element to eachother. 7

. 2, A floor mop in accordance with claim 1, wherein two pairsofelongated flanges are struckout, of said mounting plate to form saidchannel elements, each pair of flanges being longitudinally aligned inspaced parallel relation to the other pair of flanges, each pair offlanges being detached and spaced from the mounting plate along thoseside edges which face the other pair of flanges and being joined to themounting plate along their opposite side edges a 3. A'ftoor mop inaccordance with claim 2, wherein one end of one flange of one pair offlanges is joined to the mounting plate, the corresponding end of thecorresponding flange of the other pair of flanges being also joined tothe mounting plate, said ends being located at one of the extreme endsof both pairs of flanges, all of the other ends of the severalflanges'being detached from the mounting plate,'and a lug struck out ofsaid 'mounting platelocated at the other of the extreme ends of bothpairs of flanges therebetween thereby preventing acci-j dentaldislodgement CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Princary Examiner.

of said mop'head from said channel

1. A FLOOR MOP OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A HANDLE, A MOPHEAD SECURED TO SAID HANDLE AND A CLEANING ELEMENT DETACHABLY SECURED TOSAID MOP HEAD, SAID MOP HEAD COMPRISING A FLANGED MEMBER AND A FERRULE,SAID FLANGED MEMBER AND SDID FERRULE BEING FORMED OF A SINGLE INTEGRALMMETAL STAMPING HAVING A NARROW NECK PORTION WHICH JOINS SAID FLANGEDMEMBER TO THE FERRULE, SAID FERRULE ENCIRCLING THE LOWER END OF THE MOPHANDLE AND BEING SECURED THERETO, THEREBY SECURING SAID MOP HANDLE TOSAID FLANGED MEMBER, AND SAID CLEANING ELEMENT COMPRISING A CELLULOSESPONGE BLOCK AND A MOUNTING PLATE THEREFOR, SAID SPONGE BLOCK BEINGADHESIVELY SECURED TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE, SAID MOUNTING PLATE HAVINGINTEGRALLY FORMED CHANNEL MEMBERS STRUCK OUT THEREFROM, SAID CHANNELELEMENTS BEING DISPOSED WITHIN THE PERIPHERAL BORDER OF SAID MOUNTINGPLATE AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID FLANGED MEMBER, WHEREBY SAID FLANGEDMEMBER MAY BE BROUGHT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CHANNEL ELEMENTS TODETACHABLY SECURE THE MOP HANDLE AND THE CLEANING ELEMENT TO EACH OTHER.